India Break England Resistance to Take Series Lead

India broke a strong England resolve to win the first test by nine wickets and take a 1-0 lead in four match series in Ahmedabad

The hosts, who dismissed England for 406 in the second innings, required just 77 runs to clinch victory after lunch on day five.

And thanks to brisk knocks from openers Cheteshwar Pujara (41 not out) and Virender Sehwag (25) they took just 16 overs to knock-out the small target and take the initiative.

England, who resumed at 340 for 5, needed Alastair Cook and Matt Prior to prolong their stay at the crease if they were to save the test. But the visitors could add just 16 runs before they lost their wicket-keeper batsman.

Prior, batting on 91, hit straight back into the hands of Pragyan Ojha to hand the home side the break-through they had craved.

Minutes later Ojha claimed his second wicket of the day, as Cook's nine-hour stay in the middle came to end following a low turner that found its way past the England captain's defence, bringing an end to his brilliant effort of 176.

Stuart Broad was the next in line to depart, as he offered a simple return catch to seamer Umesh Yadav.

And India wrapped up the England innings with two quick wickets as Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan were dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin and Zaheer Khan, restricting the visitors to a paltry lead of 76 runs.

Pujara and Sehwag wasted little time in chasing down the target as India brought up the fifty in the eighth over. Kevin Pietersen took a good catch on the long-on boundary to dismiss Sehwag off Swann to deny the hosts a ten-wicket victory.

But the scalp only worked to delay the inevitable as Virat Kohli (14 not out) and double centurion from the first innings Pujara helped add the winning runs to give India a 1-0 series advantage ahead of the second test in Mumbai, starting on Friday and leave England with questions to answer.